Garden arbor bench

Create a shady mini retreat in your backyard. Get our how-to

Garden Arbor Bench Top View

You can add a little romance to your garden with this handsome arbor bench. The freestanding 60-inch-wide, 30-inch-deep, 86-inch-high structure has a number of subtle features that add to its appearance, strength, and comfort.

• No nails or screws show.

• Copper-pipe end caps mask countersunk carriage bolts.

• A deep seat and angled backrest stiffen the structure while providing comfort.

• Lattice side panels and overhead trellis train and support vines.

A person with average woodworking skills can build the project in a weekend. You can put it together in a workshop, then carry it assembled (with a few sturdy helpers) to its final destination. However, since it's built in four main sections, it can also be broken down and reassembled on site.

The structure is broad and stable enough to stand on its own, but for a more permanent installation, you can anchor it to concrete footings with metal brackets embedded in them.

We built the bench with standard-dimension select-heart redwood, but you could substitute cedar, fir, or pressure-treated lumber; similarly, you could use a sturdy plastic lattice instead of redwood.

Most of the project requires basic woodworking tools--a circular saw, a saber saw, an electric drill, a hammer, and a nail set. You'll need to rip a few boards into smaller sizes; you can use a table saw or ask the lumberyard to do it. You'll also need: